It was bad news if you are fond of your passport too because the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade showed Italy is the place where the most Australian passports go missing.
Medibank also said that its two highest travel insurance claims made by Aussie in Europe last year were in Italy for sums of $67,000 and $42,000.
The highest claim was because the traveller contracted pneumonia only to then find out they had lymphoma which required chemotherapy.
In the second most expensive claim, the individual was taking a photograph outside of St Mark’s Basilica when they broke their leg. They had to go to Venice for surgery before flying back to Australia.
As quoted in The Herald Sun, Medibank chief customer officer Milosh Milisavljevic said the claims show the importance of getting travel insurance.
“Unfortunately, things can sometimes go wrong on holidays, but your travel insurance policy could help cover you for things like lost luggage and cancelled flights, right through to medical coverage in international hospitals,” Milisavljevic said.
“Our most expensive claim payout during last year’s European summer period was $67,000 but the average was around $1500, which shows the value of travel insurance on smaller inconveniences in addition to more serious medical claims.”
Bureau of Statistics data reveals that Italy is consistently attracting more Australian visitors than before Covid-19 with more than 130,510 Aussies making visits in the 2023 northern summer compared to 106,420 in 2019.
The ATIA confirmed Italy remained in strong demand in 2024.
Source: travelweekly.com.au
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
